Opium Trade in Rajasthan
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TRADE AND CULTIVATION OF OPIUM IN MALWA AND RAJASTHAN DURING 1750-1900 THESIS SUBMITTED FOR THE AWARD OF THE DEGREE OF IBoctor of ^l)ilo£;opl)p IN 'I ''•/;I \^ }^ BY N^D. FAISAL ABDULLAH Under theJSupervision of -— ^ Prof. B?i^Bhadani CENTRE OF ADVANCED STUDY DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY ALIGARH MUSLIM UNIVERSITY ALIGARH ilNDIA) 2008 k) 'iM^^^h^ '"'/" n On''"'^ 2i|fi| 1^!) •• n-.t' . .: T7346 1 I Dedicated to the loving memory of My Niece Naseem Ara & Brother-in-law S. A. Siddique ^€ CENTRE OF ADVANCED STUDY DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY ALIGARH MUSLIM UNIVERSITY ALIGARH- 202 002 B.L. BHADANI Professor of History Chainnan & Coordinator Dated: CERTIFICATE Certified that Md. Faisal Abdullah worked under my supervision on the topic ""^Trade and Cultivation of Opium in Malwa and Rajasthan during 1750-1900". This thesis is the original work of the candidate and I find it suitable for submission for the award of the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy. (Prof B.L. Bhadani) Supervisor Telephones: (0571) 2703146 (O); 2403387 (R); Fax No. (0571) 2703146; Internal: 1480 and 1482 I CONTENTS CONTENTS Page No. Acknowledgements i-iii Abbreviations iv-v Introduction 1-10 Chapter I The English East India Company and the Opium Trade: A Brief Introduction 11-25 Chapter II Opium Cultivation in Malwa 26-60 Chapter III Opium Cultivation in Rajasthan 61-83 Chapter IV Opium Trade in Rajasthan 84-101 Chapter V Opium Trade in Malwa 102-127 Chapter VI Indigenous Merchants and East India Company in Opium Trade 128-147 Chapter VII The British Opium Policy: Impact on Cultivators and Merchants 148-163 Conclusion 164-170 Glossary 171-174 Bibliography 175-187 Appendices Plate ACBCMIOWlLi&Ci TS <1.« <^' ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS At the very outset, I express my gratitude and thanks to the Almighty for enabling me to complete this research thesis. First and foremost, I must thank my supervisor Professor B.L. Bhadani for his abiding support and tender care. This work benefited a lot from his expertise in the economic history of Rajasthan. I will always remain grateful to him for his toleration during my failings and distractions. I am greatly beholden to Dr. M. P. Singh for his ungrudging help who went through the entire typescript. His valuable suggestions and corrections brought about some necessary changes in the scheme of chapters. I take it as a pleasant duty to express my gratitude to my teachers who contributed in the advancement of my knowledge. Mr. M. K. Zaman taught me history in the easiest possible maimer and inculcated in me a deep interest for the subject. Dr. Ishrat Alam helped me a number of times and from him, I learned to systematize ideas and method of drafting. Dr. M. K. Pundhir took the pain to help me in preparing statistical tables from Rajasthani sources. For this, I am grateful to him. My thanks are also due to Dr. S. Chandiu Bi for her sincere appreciations and Prof. Tariq for his kind concerns. To Dr. Sajjad, who is more than a teacher to me, I owe some of my basic understanding and skills to carry research of this kind, which does not only contains data but also involves the socio-cultural dimensions of narcotic drugs at some degree. How can I forget Dr. Sumbul m'am who always listened and encouraged me in a very nice way. Dr. Mohd. Perwez Sir, through his generous comments led me to rethink some aspects of my study. Without reservation, my thanks are also due to. Dr. Hassan Imam, Dr. Pervez Nazir, Dr. Jawed, Dr. Bashir, Dr. Maksud, Dr. Waseem Raja, Dr. Ali Athar and Dr. S.L.H. Moini who time to time asked about the progress of my research. There are countless friends and colleagues who supported me in various ways and kept my blood circulating when the chips were down. I thank all of them for their charming companionship. Athar Hussain helped me in the calculation of some figures for the thesis while friends like Hamid always provided relevant references related to my research topic. I am also thankful to Mr. Jibrael for his help. I also thank Mr. Taukeer Khan for his valuable suggestions. Thanks are also due to Mr. Shahnawaz Hussain, who always responded to my needs. For their great concern, I express my gratitude to Aziz Faisal Khan, Arzoo, Imtiyaz, Umair Salik, Ziauddin, Mirnool, Osama, Asghar, Osama, Aamir Zaya. I feel indebted to Zia Bhai and Bhabhi for their earnest interest in my research and concern for me. I am also indebted to Mr. Sohail Ahmad and my brother Shadab who helped me in getting my thesis typed and bringing about a few corrections. I would like to thank Zeeshan Ali, who enriched this thesis by his knowledge of computers and graphics. My most earnest thanks go to Mr. Faiz Habib, cartographic assistant at the History Department of AMU, Aligarh, for drawing maps whenever required. For preparing appendices, some of the important documents were scaimed by Mr. Nadeem. My thanks are also due to Mr. H. K. Sharma who managed time to type my thesis with superb professionalism. The financial assistance provided to me by Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR) and University Grants Commission (UGC), New Delhi indeed enabled me to carry my research with great ease. I am highly obliged to the staffs and office heads of these organizations. The library staffs of Rajasthan State Achieves, Sri Nat Nagar Shodh Sansthan, Keshav Das Abhilekhagar, Nehru Memorial Museum & Library and National Archives of India, where I carried most of my research for this thesis, deserve special acknowledgement. In learning Rajasthani sources, which at times baffled me, Mr. Mangtu Ram provided his aid. The hospitality at Bikaner by Mr. I. C. Modi and generosity shown by Mr. B. N. Kumar of Central Bureau of Narcotics at Sitamau never let me realize that 1 was unknown to these cities. At AMU, Aligarh, the library staffs of Maulana Azad Library, Department of History (CAS), to which I have a long association, I received all necessary facilities and their cooperation during my study. I wish to thank Mr. Mazhar Hussain, Mr. Bansidhar Sharma, Mr. Salman, Mr. Moin, II Mr. Arshad, Mr. Nasir and Zubair who never failed to procure the materials, I ever required. My special thanks are due to Professor Syed Ahmad Gill, whose deep concerns and sincere feelings arrested some serious anxiety during the course of this research. His affections greatly elevated my mood whenever I felt low. Three of my greatest critics, my nieces, Fauzia, Aiman and Noor always inspired me to achieve higher level of perfection during my work. I also remember Shafia Sayeed and Fahad who always greeted me with a refreshing smile. My thanks are also due to my sisters for their several acts of kindness to me. I also owe many debts to Saba for her imfailing love, support and continuous faith in me. I missed a lot my mother and father during my stay in Aligarh. I hope that they may forgive me for any of my insincerities towards them during the research. I can only wish that the deceased souls to whom I dedicate this thesis, my niece Naseem Ara and brother-in-law S. A. Siddique were there to witness this effort of mine. At last, I would just say that despite the best support and help rendered by my teachers and others in carrying out my work, I alone hold all the responsibilities for any of the inefficiencies or inaccuracies that might have crept in to this research thesis. (MD. FAISAL ABDULLAH) 111 ^iiHiVIITIONS Abbreviations AHA Aligarh Historians Society AES Asian Educational Services BCSO Board of Customs, Salt and Opium CAS Centre of Advanced Study CIA Central India Agency CPC Concept Publication Corporation CUP Cambridge University Press EIC East India Company EPW Economic and Political Weekly FD Foreign Department lESHR The Indian Economic and Social History Review JIAEA Journal of the Indian Archipelago and Eastern Asia JPH Jaipur Publishing House KDA Keshav Das Abhilekhagar LMPH Lung Men Press Ltd LPP Low Price Publications K4AS Modern Asia Studies NAI National Archives of India MUP Manchester University Press OUP Oxford University Press PSJ Publication Scheme Jaipur RHC Rajasthan History Congress RPSS Research Publications in Social Sciences IV RSA Rajasthan State Archives RSM Rajasthan Sahitya Mandir SNNSS Sri Nat Nagar Shodh Sansthan SRBC Separate Revenue Branch Consultations SUP Stanford University Press VPH Vikas Publishing House YUP Yale University Press i INTRODUCTION Introduction Between 1750 and 1900, Britain extended its dominions and sphere of influence in Asia from India to China.' During the 18th Century, the trade relations between Britain and China continuously expanded. This period marked the development of a new trade relations and increasing commercial activity. One important feature of Anglo-Chinese trade in the early period was that the balance of trade was unfavourable for Great Britain. Whatever the reasons, China took very little from England, but England could not do without tea and silk from China. This period also saw Opium becoming an important element in the process of commercialized products in the trade of Asia.^ By the mid-eighteen century, Europe was rurming a large trade deficit with Asia, sailing next to nothing in China apart from a few clocks and other minor manufactured goods. Meanwhile Chinese exports of tea, porcelain, silk and curious objects were rising steadily.^ The massive increase soon in exports of tea to England, led to a frantic search for the means to pay for it. Exports of the Indian commodities i.e. raw cotton and opium provided an answer to this problem. What was of prime significance to the Indian interests was Indian opium.